Monitor Burn-in HOWTO

This HowTo describes how to burn-in monitors for long-term use.

Quick Guide:

Inspect monitor and mark recycle if:

   * Plastic case is cracked or damaged
   * Year on back is 1995 or before
   * The base is missing, leaving a round unstable bottom
   * Signal input is a 9-pin connector (we want 15-pin SVGA connectors)
   * Monitor is 17" or less and only supports 120V operation (not dual voltage)

Note: for recycled monitors, please keep the 15-bit VGA cable if it is detachable to use with other monitors that don't have a signal cable.

   * Take a non-burned in monitor from storage to the burn-in area
   * Plug in a power cord to the back of the monitor
   * Plug the monitor's signal cable into one of the nearby signal sockets (15-pin female connector)
   * Power up the monitor and (if possible) Degauss and Reset to factory settings
   * Adjust the picture for brightness, size and centeredness
   * Try all buttons and menu options, make sure everything works

Mark the monitor recycle if:

   * Picture clicks or jerks around
   * Picture is darker than the reference monitor even when brightness/contrast turned all the way up
   * Picture is black or doesn't show the Linux desktop(check power and brightness/contrast)
   * Picture is blurry and text is difficult to read (wipe dirt off screen with cloth to be sure)
   * Color is uneven across the screen
   * You are unable to center the picture properly with the controls
   * The picture is warped and not fixable with the controls
   * You smell BURNING or hear SQUEALING

Burning in:

   * Record the date on the Burn-In sheet.
   * Write the current time as shown in the lower right corner of the Reference Monitor in the Burn-In sheet's TIME STARTED column along with the Gizmo IDs of all the monitors you will be birning in.
   * During this time, you can plug in and check up to 4 monitors at once. It is a good idea to test all 4 at one time, or it gets confusing.
   * Leave the monitors running on the shelf until at least 1 hour has passed. You can leave them much longer if that is convenient to other task you need to do.
   * If any of the monitors fail while setting them up (see criteria above) process them as recyclers and replace them with potentially good monitors until there are four on the shelf worth testing.
   * When finished, write the current time as shown in the lower right corner of the Reference Monitor in the Burn-In sheet's TIME ENDED column. Write your name in the column on the far right of the Burn-In sheet.
   * What to do with KEEPERS: After 1 hour, if the monitor picture is still good, bright and not jerking around, and you do NOT smell BURNING:
         o Log the monitor's Gizmo ID in the KEEP column of the TALLY sheet and circle the size, and put an orange sticker on the front of the monitor next to the label.
         o Put the monitor on the shelf and continue with another.
   * What to do with RECYCLERS: If the picture has degraded, log the monitor's Gizmo ID in the RECYCLE column of the TALLY sheet, circle the reason or write one in, draw an X thru the Gizmo ID on the monitor's label, and put the monitor in the recycle pile, snipping off its video cable.

SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES:

At the end of the day turn off ALL monitors, including the Reference Monitor. Leave the testing machine ON. Detailed Instructions If the monitor testing machine is not up and running, please turn on its power and wait for it to boot. It should boot up with a Linux desktop with a help browser showing some detailed text at 1024x768 resolution. DeGauss and Reset to factory settings:

   * Some monitors will have separate buttons on the front panel, on others this will be menu options.
   * Newer monitors often DeGauss everytime they are turned on, you will hear the hum and crackle.

REFERENCE MONITOR SETTINGS:

Listed here in case the Reference Monitor is accidentally reset

   * Do NOT reset the Reference Monitor
   * COLOR = 50@9300K
   * GEOMETRY = 50 by 70
   * SIZE = 34 by 19
   * CENTER = 55 by 59
   * BRIGHTNESS = 31
   * CONTRAST = 100

Pointers

See also: Monitor Initial Testing